Bella and Edward at Angela's Wedding
by ptrtool1999
Summary: Six Years Post Breaking Dawn, an invitation to their friend Angela's wedding arrives at the Cullen's house. What will their friends from high school think when they encounter Bella, now that she looks like a supermodel and no longer has a heartbeat? Fluff and Fun, short story. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This short story takes place 6 years post Breaking Dawn. The Cullens finally moved away two years prior, from Forks, to Alaska, where they are planning their next move. Pure Fluff. Probably 3 chapters in all.**

**Stephanie Meyer owns all.**

**Chapter 1**

A break in the grey clouds allowed the afternoon Sun to cast it's golden rays down upon the tundra of the Alaskan wilderness. It was a beautiful day, one filled with the sounds of spring; the melting of snow into rushing streams, the songs of birds, and the sound of Elk and Moose moving across the thawing ground.

It was a typical day at the Cullen home, where the family was involved in various individual pursuits, but taking pleasure in one another's company. Bella Cullen was sitting with her husband on the comfortable white leather sofa, reading one of her dog-eared paperback's, when she heard Esme's voice call out to her from the kitchen. "Bella, would you mind coming in here for a moment? An interesting piece of mail arrived for you."

Bella glanced at Edward, who only smiled at her indulgently as he idly played with her hair. He loved to sit with her when she read, and they often spent time relaxing in the living room together. If Edward had picked something up from Esme's thoughts, he wasn't sharing.

She stood from her seat, kissing her husband on the cheek, and walked towards the kitchen. The house was busy today, with Renesmee just returning from a shopping trip with Alice and Rosalie, and Jasper and Emmett playing their latest video game on the giant flatscreen TV. Only Carlisle was absent, working his shift at the nearest hospital.

A slight chuckle from behind her made Bella turn around, and she watched as a slow smile spread across Edward's face. Curious now, Bella walked faster into the open-plan kitchen, and over to Esme, who stood at the marble-topped counter. She was holding out a large, square envelope, with an embossed gold bow on the back. It was addressed, in scripted calligraphy, to Isabella and Edward Cullen, care of Charles Swan in Forks Washington. Clearly, Charlie had sent this on to them, as he was one of the very few people in Forks who knew where they lived.

Reaching for the envelope, Bella let out a gasp when she saw the return address stamp, and ripped the envelope open at vampire speed. She let out a shout of joy when she read the elegant writing:

_Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Weber request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Angela Michelle Weber to Benjamin Cheney on Saturday, the eighteenth of July, 2011, at six o'clock in the evening, at All Saints Church, 33 Main Street, Forks WA. Reception to follow._

Bella shouted for Edward, racing back to the living room in a blur, the invitation clutched in her hand. "Edward, did you know?" Bella cried, her voice loud and exuberant. "Can we go? Will it be ok? Should I call Alice to check?" Bella spoke in a rush, bouncing from foot to foot in excitement. She couldn't believe it! Angela's wedding!

Edward laughed at her exuberance. "Easy, love, we will talk with Alice and get her opinion," he answered, standing from his seat. "But it's been 6 years now, and the differences in your appearance is quite marked. Except for your eye color, which we can solve with contacts, not all of your changed appearance can be easily explained away."

"But they haven't seen me in so long, and I can just tell them that I have been getting Alice's Bella Barbie treatments for years! Oh, please Edward!" Bella pleaded, her eyes wide and her lips pouty. She had clearly learned a few tricks from Alice.

Edward knew he could never refuse her. "OK, love," he laughed, "we can make it work. It might be tougher for me to explain why I don't look a day older than I did, but a change in hairstyle and maybe some glasses and I think I can pass for 25."

Before he had even finished speaking, Bella was in his arms, squealing out her thanks and delight, laughing along with him. Bella had not seen Angela Weber since her wedding to Edward, and she missed her shy friend. They had kept in sporadic contact via email for a few years after Bella allegedly left for Dartmouth, but these had faded to only a few emails per year and then to nothing for the past year or so. Bella's memories of Angela were muddy, like most of her human memories that didn't involve Edward or the Cullens, but she was excited to see her. She was, after all, the only person she really liked when she was in high school.

For the next few hours, Bella and Edward reminisced about Angela, with Edward giving her gentle reminders about her friend and the things she used to think about, her feelings for Bella and her other friends, and how Edward had 'tricked' Ben Cheney into asking Angela out by pretending to be interested in her. Bella had never heard this story before, and was delighted at Edward's gesture.

She leaned over, letting her lips lightly graze Edward's. "I always knew you had a heart – and soul – of gold, Edward Cullen. And this just proves it even further."

Edwards eyes darkened, and he held his wife tightly in a lover's embrace, kissing her with passion and love.

* * *

After Bella and Edward had checked with Alice about the feasibility of going – which involved Alice scanning ahead for possible obstacles like sunny weather, suspicious townsfolk, or any other possible calamities that she might see - they were happily assured that all would be well.

Some precautions would have to be taken, of course. Bella would have to wear either a shawl or a long sleeved dress as she would receive a lot of hugs, and her cool skin would attract too many comments and attention. And she would also need to wear lacy gloves, and keep some thermal hand-warmers on standby to keep the chill from her and Edward's hands. Besides that, Alice assured them that a fancy dress and different hair style and makeup would make everyone think that her changes were simply due to her getting older and maturing into a 'dazzling beauty.'

So, with a happy heart, Bella sent the RSVP that she and Edward would be attending.

Alice, of course, was put in charge of shopping for the dress, and she and Rosalie would make sure Bella would 'knock their socks off'. When Bella asked whose socks they were talking about, they laughed at her and reminded her about her many admirer's from Forks HS. Truthfully, Bella did not remember much about her old friends from High School, and she only had vague and muddy memories about any so-called 'admirers.'

Despite his disdain for the boys of Forks High that had lusted after his Bella when they were in High School, Edward was secretly pleased that they were going to drip with envy when they saw her on his arm. He had to endure their graphic fantasies and angry jealousy during the two years he and Bella attended Forks High, and he remembered many unkind thoughts at his wedding that predicted he and Bella would end up divorced after a few years.

He was going to enjoy showing her off. He always did, and even 6 years later was amazed that she had chosen him.

**A/N - I have most of this story written already, just need to edit it as some of the writing is a bit loose. Should have the next chapter up in a few days, which covers most of the wedding itself. And then probably will be a short epilogue type chapter to finish it off.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Angela's Wedding **

**Stephanie Meyer owns all**

**Chapter 2**

As Spring gave way to Summer, and the Alaskan days grew longer, Bella grew more and more excited for her friend's wedding. She had spent several hours with Alice and Edward, looking through Angela's wedding registry, trying to decide on the right gift, and she had bought a beautiful dress with Alice and Rosalie a few weeks earlier. Everything was packed and ready, and the next day they would be leaving for their house in Forks. They planned on spending a at least a week in Forks, catching up with Charlie, and spending some time with their friends from the Reservation. With the exception of Jacob, who spent as much time with them in Alaska as he did at home in La Push, they had not seen much of the Wolves since they left Forks two years earlier. So the whole family was making the trip to Forks with Bella and Edward.

All of the Cullen's, with maybe the exception of Rosalie who didn't enjoy being so close to their 'stink', enjoyed the company of the Quileute's. For so long, the only companions that the Cullen's could ever really drop their 'disguises' with were other Vampires. So, having friendly relations with relatively 'normal' people - if 'normal' included people who turned into wolves – was a nice change for everyone, and relations with the pack were very good.

To help the Quileute's out with financial assistance without giving them a 'hand-out', which would have offended their pride, Carlisle had set up a scholarship fund, in the name of Ephraim Black, which awarded full college tuition assistance to ten deserving Quiluetes every year. The winners were chosen by the tribal council and the elders, and the village chiefs had come to greatly respect Carlisle and the rest of the Cullen's.

The Cullen's missed the presence of Quiluete's enough – both their company and the security their combined forces brought them - that they were factoring their proximity to La Push into their next planned move. They were trying to decide between three towns: Sandpoint, Idaho, Libby, Montana or La Grande, Oregon. All three choices offered dense forests, secluded mountains, and plenty of large wildlife for hunting. And best of all, they were within a few hours run of La Push. They were currently favoring Sandpoint, as it bordered both the Kootenai and Kaniksu National Forests, and had a population about twice that of Forks. Esme was looking to either restore a ranch property or build a new home from scratch. Either way, the Cullen's would be moving within the next eighteen months, and everyone was happy about relocating closer to Forks.

When it was time to leave and begin the road trip to Forks (they chose to drive instead of flying), the family lumbered out of their sprawling Alaskan lodge in three large carloads, timing their departure for 9pm; this way they could race down the 1100 mile stretch of the Alaska Highway that wound through Alaska, and through The Yukon Territory, during the night when almost no other cars were on the road. At the pace the Cullen's drove, the normally twenty-hour stretch of remote highway was completed in seven blisteringly fast hours. Stops were made only for gas and for Renesmee to use a restroom.

When the caravan of cars reached Highway 97, at the borderline of British Columbia, they continued their frantic pace south until they reached Chilliwack, where early morning haze and the slowly increasing traffic slowed them down from the one-hundred fifty mile-per-hour pace they had been cruising at, to a more sedate one hundred miles-per-hour. Crossing the border into Washington near the small town of Everson, and after a brief stop in Bellingham for a quick breakfast for Renesmee (she had taken an increasing interest in human foods as she grew), they were back on the road for the last leg of the journey. They chose the longer route (in miles) down through Seattle and Tacoma instead of taking the ferry across to Port Townsend, counting on their rapid pace to more than make up for the shorter distance of the ferry trip . Map planners did not count on the driving speed of the Cullen's when factoring in the length of road trips.

So, a short twenty hours after leaving Alaska – the trip would have taken a normal family about 45 hours, not counting stops – the now dusty and road-worn trio of expensive cars turned onto the Cullen's unmarked driveway and pulled up to the old white house in Forks.

Bella looked eagerly out her window, taking Edward's hand as her greedy eyes drank in every detail she could see. She had only been back to Forks once since they left two years ago, and she had stayed at Charlie's and her Cottage during that five-day visit, as the big house was closed and locked up. And this was the first time that she was back with her whole family since she left Forks. Now and forever she would call this small, rainy town home - the place where her life really began (in a both literal and figurative sense) - and she was choked up with a wistful sadness at returning.

"What's wrong, love?" asked her ever-perceptive husband, who had detected her feelings through the tension in her hand and slump of her shoulders. Instead of answering out-loud, Bella opened her shield to him, allowing him to see the thoughts running through her head. She showed him the happy memories, and the sad; the funny, and the serious; the good times, and the bad. And she showed him her bittersweet realization that, one day, everyone she had once known in this town would be gone, but that she would continue on, into eternity, remembering them as best she could.

But she also showed him her joy; how the happiness that talk of 'forever' would always bring her, even now that her journey towards forever had begun. And she showed him how happy and blessed she felt about the fact that she had Edward by her side, and that he would be there until the earth turned to dust, loving her and, in turn, being loved by her.

And she thought about the fact that these thoughts, as sweet as they were, always made her feel a touch guilty, as though she was undeserving of such a bounty.

Edward laughed, a warm, chiming sound that echoed in the confines of the car. "My sweet, silly Bella. Only you would think that you are undeserving of anything," he said fondly, squeezing her hand. "You deserve the world, love, and I will be with you to make sure that you get it." To this Bella could do nothing but sigh, dazzled again by her wonderful husband, and her momentary sadness was gone, faded away like the threads of a dream forgotten upon waking. She let her eyes wander over the wide front lawn, now overgrown with tall grasses, waving gently in the early evening light, and felt nothing but contentment.

Over the next hour, the family bustled about the house, getting it ready for its occupants. Sheets removed from furniture, closets stocked, food deliveries ordered, bedding laid out. The Cullen's moved at vampire speed around the house, making it look lived-in and homey again. When the house was ready, they left together for a quick hunt, and then a trip to La Push, where they would be joining the Wolves and their families at a private bonfire on the Reservation beach.

Bella and Edward also readied their cottage, which had suffered from neglect over the past two years. Minor repairs to some of the roofing tiles were necessary, as well as to a blocked pipe in the Jacuzzi, courtesy of a nest of field mice making a home there. Edward made a list of things to fix the following day, after which there would be a barbecue at the Cullen's house, with all their Quiluete friends in attendance.

**** *M******** ************************************************ M

* * *

After a busy few days of friends and fun, the day of the wedding finally arrived. Bella and Edward got dressed and ready to leave, waving goodbye to their family as they made their way out to the garage. They had agreed on all the details of what the 'public story' that they would tell everyone would be, after checking for complications with Alice.

Unfortunately, everyone quickly realized that they could not tell anyone about Nessie. How could Bella explain the existence of a nearly full grown daughter? This made Bella sad, but she understood the necessity of it. While sometimes their cover story would include the use of carefully edited pictures of themselves accompanied by a younger Nessie, this would not work for them in Forks. Now that Nessie had reached near-adulthood, and visited Charlie and Jacob often, there was always a chance that someone in town could bump into her during her visits to La Push or at Charlies house. Nessie had her own cover story that she would use if it became necessary – if someone saw her in town and saw the similarity between her and Edward - which was that she was Edward's long-lost niece, daughter of his deceased brother. Alice insisted that mentioning to anyone in Forks that Bella had a daughter would cause too much gossip, and would result in people digging a little too closely into their affairs. It was imperative, therefore, that she not be mentioned today.

So, as far as anyone else was concerned, the public story was that Bella and Edward had graduated from Dartmouth (they had the fake diplomas and falsified documents to support this, courtesy of J Jenks) two years prior, and now lived near their family on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska. After taking a year off after Dartmouth and traveling, Bella was now pursuing a Masters in English Literature, and was planning on perhaps getting a PHD afterwards. Edward was getting a Masters in Music. All in all, the stories were believable, and would not raise any eyebrows.

For the wedding, the couple were taking Edward's Aston Martin, which had sat unused in the garage of the Cullen home in Forks for the past two years. Edward had always regarded it as his special occasion car, and the tough weather conditions in Alaska did not suit its sporty exterior and powerful engine. So, after a thorough check of its road-worthiness, Rosalie had given it a quick tune-up, and declared it fit for driving.

Edward led Bella around to her car door, holding it open as she gathered her long blue dress and sat down daintily in her seat, a wide smile on her face. Her white shawl trailed over her neck and shoulders, which she could put on when she needed to hide the chill that radiated from her stone body. Alice had told her she would need this, when she was given the inevitable hugs by her old friends. The dress she wore had a plunging neckline and cutaway back, showing more cleavage and skin than Bella was used to, but she had to admit that it looked sexy and sophisticated. Alice had insisted that a more urbane, daring style of dress would help distract people from the noticeable changes to her face and features; with that in mind, Alice had done her makeup with a light mascara and heavy blush, bringing a touch of faint pink to her pale cheeks. And to top off the very un-Bella style dress, Alice had added a pair of silver and blue peep toes with a three-inch heel. "Don't forget to trip sometimes, Bella," Alice laughed, remembering how clumsy she had been in High School. Bella smiled fondly at her, grateful as always at how much better balance she had since her change.

Sitting in the front seat of the Aston, she peeked at herself in the car's rearview mirror. Between her breasts rested a long, silver chain, with the diamond crystal heart Edward had given her long ago dangling from its length. Silver studded diamond earrings hung from her ears, and her hair was swept back from her face, curling gently over her back and shoulders, and held in place with two silver combs. The long hair draping down her back would give an additional layer of protection against the chill of her skin, and she had to admit that Alice had done a superb job of making her look like a twenty-four year old supermodel version of herself might have appeared.

Edward sat down in the driver's seat, and smiled at her as they pulled out of the Cullen's long drive. He was dressed in a classic, black tux, with a blue handkerchief matching the color of Bella's dress in his jacket pocket. His hair was combed neatly, held in place with hairspray; but somehow, it still managed to have an air of unruliness about it. He wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses that immediately seemed to add several years to his age, and gave him an older, almost professorial look.

All in all, they were a fabulous, almost ethereal, looking couple that could have graced the cover of any fashion magazine in the world.

Bella was extremely excited to finally get going, as she had been counting down the days for months. After RSVP'ing back in the spring, she had sent an email off to Angela, apologizing for not keeping in touch and expressing her excitement at attending the wedding. Angela had been thrilled to hear from her, and they had corresponded several times since then. At her friend's invitation, Bella had visited Angela's Facebook page, and gazed happily at all the photos that she had there. So, as the car pulled away, Bella thought about what her friend had been doing for the past six years, and she was eager to finally see her.

After graduating Magna-Cum Laude from the University of Washington, Angela had decided to pursue her Masters in Education and was planning on a Teaching career. Ben had graduated with an Accounting degree, and was now working as an Associate at a large financial firm in Seattle. They had gotten engaged after graduation a year ago, and were eager to start their lives together as Mr. and Mrs. Cheney. They had just moved into a small apartment together, and Angela said she had never been happier.

Bella was truly glad for her friend.

**** M *****************************************M****** ******

* * *

As the silver Aston Martin turned the corner onto Main Street, Bella saw dozens of wedding guests crowded outside the large white Church, or making their way there from the adjacent parking lot. At least twenty cars were parked at the metered spots on Main Street, and Bella was very surprised at the large number of people walking towards the Church. She had a very vague memory of once helping Angela with hundreds of graduation announcements, and Angela had mentioned in one of their recent emails that her mother had invited 'her whole family.' As Bella watched the crowd of people streaming inside, she wondered if there was going to be enough room for everyone.

Edward slowly wound his way down the street, driving past the entrance of the beautiful white building. The quiet growl of the Aston's engine caused many guests to turn and look at the fancy vehicle as it drove past. The lateness of the hour and the lengthening shadows made it difficult for the humans to discern who was driving the sleek car, so it was no surprise that there were many curious onlookers who stopped in their tracks to watch as Edward maneuvered into a parking spot about a block from the Church.

Stepping out of the car, Edward walked around to Bella's door, smiling slightly to himself as the first gasps of recognition sounded from some of the wedding guests. He heard both their verbal exclamations and their loud and insistent thoughts. He helped a smiling and radiant Bella from her seat, her small hand held high in Edward's as she stood to join him on the curb. Edward's smile widened further, as a silent thrall fell over the onlookers when Bella turned to face them, her hair swinging freely as she moved, strands of silky mahogany that contrasted stunningly with her pale skin. Her beauty truly was mesmerizing, and the shocked and stuttering thoughts of nearly everyone in attendance hit him at all at once.

As Edward shut her door, listening to the turbulent thoughts of those near the Aston, Edward recognized the tenor of some of the minds that were bombarding him. They belonged to students from Forks High, or some of the local inhabitants of Forks, who knew who Edward and Bella were. But even though most of the minds were unfamiliar to him, they were all filled with surprise and curiosity at the stunning couple that just emerged from the silver sports-car.

The loudest thoughts – almost shouting at him - were probably from Mrs. Newton and Mrs. Stanley, both of who were standing less than ten feet from Edward. He remembered them clearly, and they had a deserved reputation as being nosy and eager to gossip. He suspected that he and Bella had just given them enough juicy ammunition for many-a-night of otherwise boring needlepoint and discussion of the merits of soaking their plantar warts.

The crowd in Bella and Edward's vicinity quieted to silence as he turned to his lovely wife and offered his arm to her. Adjusting her white shawl, Bella smiled widely, and placed her hand in the crook of his offered arm. The couple began walking towards the Church, as the onlookers watched in wonder, parting for them as if they were celebrities on the red carpet.

As they passed people on the way to the broad steps, hurried whispers and eager thoughts assaulted Edward, and he and Bella looked at each other and smiled as the whispers quickly increased in volume. "Oh my God!" said Mrs. Stanley, leaning over to whisper in Mrs. Newton's ear. "Bella and Edward Cullen! Look at them!"

Mrs. Newton nodded, her words coming out in a hushed whisper."I cannot believe how good they look! I heard they were coming, but I didn't believe it." And in her thoughts, Edward heard her thinking, "Mike was such good friends with Bella, he should have tried harder to date her! Look at her! She looks fabulous!"

Edward laughed quietly at this, and Bella turned to him, grinning and patting his arm. She raised her shield briefly, talking to him with her thoughts. "What's so funny, Mr. Cullen? Any juicy gossip to share?" Edward just chuckled, pulling her close, and letting the curves of her body curl into his hip as they walked past their admirers. "No, love. Just enjoying showing off my beautiful wife."

The way the crowd gave way before them was like Moses parting the Red Sea. Many of the guests, who had no idea who Bella and Edward were, thought that perhaps they were either celebrities or famous models, and they wondered idly if they were from the Bride's side or the Groom's. But as they swept past, as regally as any Royal Couple could manage, the crowd closed in to follow-them, a respectful distance behind. To anyone watching from a distance, they would look like a pair of dignitaries being followed by a horde of reporters or paparazzi.

Edward smiled to himself, feeling intense pride at being at the side of his beautiful Bella.

* * *

**A/N - Decided to split off the wedding chapter into 2, as their trip back to Forks distracted me and we were north of 3k words in this chapter already. Next chapter is 2/3 done already, as this story is flowing quickly.**


	3. Chapter 3

Angela's Wedding

Chapter 3

As they walked through the parted crowd and approached the gleaming white steps leading up to the church, Mrs. Newton gathered her courage and stepped forward to greet them. Bella had worked for her at the Newton's family store, Olympic Outfitters, for almost a full year, and Mrs. Newton always liked her. "Bella, my goodness! You..you look wonderful!", she stuttered, her wide eyes travelling from Bella, to Edward, and then back to Bella. She was buzzing with excitement, and paid no attention to Mrs. Stanley who stood beside her with her mouth hanging open in the same shocked 'O' as many of the other spectators who were watching the stunning couple's approach.

Bella smiled at Mrs. Newton, offering her hand in greeting. "Hello, Mrs. Newton. How have you and your family been?" she asked politely, her chiming voice further stunning the gathering humans. Although Bella had used thermal hand-warmers in the car to take most of the chill from her hands, she still did not linger when Mrs. Newton shook her hand.

Recovering from her initial shock, Mrs. Newton and even Mrs. Stanley asked Bella a few eager questions, and before long more of the curios Forks residents had come to surround the couple in a wide circle. Before the questioning could get carried away, Edward made a polite excuse about 'finding seating', and he and Bella started up the steps, the crowd once again making way for them, before turning and following them into the Church.

As they stepped off the last step and into the Church's very wide entryway, Bella spotted some of her old friends standing just inside the entrance and chatting amongst themselves. Ensuring her shawl was in place and secured tightly, proof against the hugs that were sure to follow, she watched as recognition dawned on first Tyler's, then Eric's face; and at the loud 'Holy Shit!' that came unbidden from Tyler, all faces in the entryway turned to face Bella and Edward.

Edward watched with amusement at the surprised and awestruck gazes that swept across the faces of Bella's old classmates. Mouths dropped open and eyes popped wide. He took note of Tyler Crowley, Eric Yorkie, Casey Duncan, Jessica Stanley, Lauren Mallory, Katie Marshall, and Austin Marks; they were the ones that had sat at her lunch table, and thus should remember Bella quite well. He laughed quietly to himself when, almost in unison, their thoughts momentarily screeched to a halt, before hammering him with shock, lust, envy, and curiosity.

Standing beside the familiar faces of Bella's old friends, there were another half-dozen or so Forks HS graduates that Edward recognized, but had never spoken with or taken the time to learn their names. And standing close behind them, peering over shoulders to get a better look at the mystery couple, were a fair number of other guests, of a similar age to the Forks crowd, that Edward assumed were probably college friends of Angela's or Ben's.

The thoughts coming from the Forks group were a montage of rapidly switching images – memories– of Bella. Edward saw, through their minds, her arrival in Forks, shy and blushing but pretty in a timeless, classic sense; to her wide and happy smile at the prom, dancing awkwardly in a leg cast while standing on Edward's feet; to brief glimpses of her 'dark' time, when Edward foolishly left her behind and broke her heart; and finally, to Bella's wedding to Edward– the last time anyone of these people had seen her- where she smiled like the sun and dazzled everyone with her blushing beauty. And in everyone's mind – without exception – was stunning admiration of how beautiful and sophisticated she now looked.

After a brief moment, Jessica Stanley was yelping out Bella's name as she hurried over to envelop her in a full hug. "Bella Oh my God! You look fantastic!" she gushed, wrapping her arms around a smiling Bella, who gently patted her on the back. Before Bella had a chance to say any words in greeting, Mike Newton was striding up to her, taking her from Jessica's arms. His thoughts were running the gamut from lust for Bella to jealousy and anger towards Edward. This made Edward chuckle to himself, thinking that at least some things never changed.

"Wow, Bella, just... wow! It's great to see you," stammered Mike, a wide smile cracking his face and his eyes sparkling; time and distance had apparently not quelled his enthusiasm and desire for her. Mike held the hug a moment longer than some might have considered proper, and Bella had to practically pry his arms from around her back. Before stepping away from her, Mike took a long whiff of her sweet smelling hair and skin; he would have lingered there all night had Bella not disengaged herself from him.

With a shake of his head, a dazzled and befuddled Mike turned to Edward and added a perfunctory greeting for him. "And it's good to see you too, Edward," he added, almost grudgingly, his eyes still somewhat glazed over from his exposure to his wife's delicious vampire scent and stunningly good looks.

Edward enjoyed watching as Bella worked the crowd, reveling in her confidence and wit; she was so very different from the reticent, quiet girl he had met six years ago. Soon, the couple were standing at the center of a group of her old friends; Bella greeted everyone politely and answered their questions with only partially-feigned enthusiasm. She laughed deprecatingly at their continued fawning over her looks, making an offhand comment that she was Alice and Rosalie's pet Barbie and that she owed everything to them. This remark earned her more than a few laughs, as some of her friends remembered her old stories of being 'tortured' by Alice with makeup and shopping marathons.

As Edward stood quietly by her side, watching his Bella with husbandly pride, he could not help but notice that everyone seemed to keep a reasonable distance from himself, giving him a wide amount of personal space. Edward knew that they somehow sensed his 'otherness' - the predator within him - even if their conscious minds were not aware of it.

This was a normal reaction; humans would invariably feel fear when standing too close to a vampire, and Edward was long since used to it.

But with Bella, the 'keep your distance' vibe that other vampires gave-off didn't seem to apply. She had such a warm personality and way about herself - and her mannerisms were so 'human' – that it was like she shone with an inner-light that people could feel, and that overrode their normal instincts to keep their distance. Humans simply did not shy away from Bella.

Edward had suspected this 'anomaly' in Bella (he didn't have another adequate name for it) quite soon after her change; and the various trips that the couple had taken over the past six years had confirmed that it was not just a fluke interaction with a few individuals. She had spent a considerable amount of time among humans, in various situations, and no one ever seemed to be afraid of her. Whether she was shopping, traveling, or taking classes, Bella was never considered a 'threat' by anyone she met. In fact, many seemed 'drawn' to her, almost like she had a supernatural gift for attracting attention. Jasper had even commented on this on several occasions, expressing his surprise that no human was ever uncomfortable around Bella, and the normal reactions that people had to other vampires – tension, anxiety, and fear – were completely absent with her.

For Edward, this was just another thing that was remarkable – and unique – about his Bella. Even Esme, who was probably the kindest vampire he had ever met- or Carlisle, who was the most compassionate - were not able to interact as seamlessly with people as Bella was. It was ironic, really, since as a human, his Bella always wanted to blend-in and avoid as much attention to herself as possible.

Edward smiled as he considered this. He now was firmly convinced – despite his fear for it before her change – that her soul was still as intact and lovely and pure as it ever was: and it always would be. This revelation – which he had no doubt at all was true - had finally given him enough belief in his own self-worth and inherent 'goodness' to think that maybe, just maybe, his own soul was still intact as well. And whenever he faltered in this hope, Bella was always ready and happy to help quell his demons and help him believe it.

She was - in all things - his angel and his deliverance. And, if on his last day of life on this earth he was asked what his greatest accomplishment had been, Edward would answer without hesitation : loving Bella and in turn being loved by her.

Focusing back on his wife, Edward walked by her side as the group of admirers slowly migrated into the church, where people separated into the 'Bride' side or 'Groom' side, to sit in the wooden pews. The church was surprisingly large, and the nave extended further back than Edward had thought. He estimated it could seat about 400 people, and based on the size of the crowd outside they might need it. He followed Bella to the Bride side of the church, as she was shuffled along by an overeager Jessica, who was asking questions so rapidly that Bella didn't have time to answer most of them. Bella good-naturedly walked along, reaching back behind her to take her husband's hand, and with a laugh Edward guided her to a comfortable seat at the end of one of the pews, with Jessica following in her wake.

He noticed that Mike, Tyler, and Eric – Bella's main admirers in High School – did not go to the Groom side of the aisle, despite being good friends with Ben. Without having to listen to their thoughts – which he heard anyway - Edward knew that the reason was, of course, their desire to ogle and be close to Bella. They sat in the row directly behind them, gazing at her stupidly. It didn't take Edward's vampire vision to spot the drool forming at the corner of Newton's mouth, which had been opening and closing like a fish since he first saw her.

Edward did a quick scan of the thoughts of everyone around him, and besides the usual thoughts of amazement at their beauty, the usual lust and envy, and the curiosity that most felt, he did not detect any suspicioun in anyone's thoughts. This helped Edward to relax, and with Bella's hand still held firmly in his own, he turned his attention to Bella's old classmates.

Newton was dressed in a well-tailored, black tuxedo – clearly a rental but not a bargain-basement job like Eric Yorkie had on – and he looked well-groomed and presentable. His features had sharpened, and he would probably be attractive to human females. But Mike's thoughts were running a steady stream of romantic escapades, heartfelt declarations of love, and pornographic scenes featuring Bella. It was clear to Edward that Mike had never gotten over his crush.

Surprisingly, though, this no longer really bothered Edward. Back in high school, he had wanted to annihilate Newton for his perverse fantasies. But now, after marrying Bella, raising a child with her, and knowing without a doubt that she would stand by his side as his mate for all eternity, the petty delusions of a few silly mortals were nothing for him to bother getting excited about. Edward really had changed, for the better.

Looking over at Eric and Tyler, and tuning into their thoughts as they stared at Bella's profile as she spoke quietly with Jessica, Edward didn't hear anything unexpected. Mostly, they were amazed at the changes in Bella, and how she was now the epitome of classical beauty. Several times they looked closely at her eyes, trying to remember her exact eye color and reconciling it with the now honey-brown shade that the contact lenses she was wearing made them appear as.

The thoughts of the other Forks students were not much different: the boys all gazed in wonder at Bella, their minds having difficulty coming to grips with her beauty and fantasizing about her. Words like _hot_, _gorgeous_, _smoking,_ and_ stunning _ran through their minds_._ And the girls were having similar thoughts and fantasies about Edward himself. He did catch a rather pathetic image from Mike's mind that stuck with him; of a younger Mike fawning over a cell phone picture of Bella on her wedding day. He must have snapped this photo himself, and he had kept it on his phone for the past six years, looking at it more often than was healthy.

Edward scanned the rest of the Forks crew, who had now all taken their seats. He nodded politely at some of them, and quickly avoided the gaze of Lauren Mallory, who stared at Edward with beady eyes filled with undisguised lust. She had not aged gracefully; her skin had a weathered, beaten look to it - probably from too many hours lying under tanning beds - and her once attractive silver-blonde hair had turned to a lifeless, light brown in color that was dry and had massive split-ends. Her thoughts were too embarrassing to dwell on, and Edward turned back to face the front of the Church.

Standing near the front of the Nave, Edward could make out Ben standing nervously at the altar, with a young man Edward didn't recognize besides him. Angela's father was not acting the part of minister, as he presumably would be walking his daughter down the aisle; Edward did not recognize the Priest.

He took a moment to admire the venue; white roses filled the grand and lofty space, and baskets and streamers were tastefully placed around the Sanctuary. Soft music came from a piano, but the player and instrument were hidden somewhere behind the people standing at the front. Edward had never been inside this Church before, but he was pleasantly surprised at its understated elegance.

On Angela's side of the aisle, the pews were much more tightly packed. This was probably due to the size of Angela's family; she had, she said, 'thousands' of cousins. Many of the guests were young, in their early or middle teenage years, so they clearly were family as Edward didn't expect that Angela, who was now 24 years old, was friends with many teenagers.

Bella, meanwhile, had spent the last few minutes trying to keep up with Jessica's running monologue; she would, on occasion ask Bella a question, but didn't wait very long before running off on a completely different topic. She was very aware of the stares directed at her from her former classmates, but she was calm and confident - she had come a long way from the shy and clumsy girl that they knew six years earlier.

Bella thought that Jessica looked good. She was dressed in a frilly pink dress, with her hair piled high on her head and tendrils falling down to frame her face. She had lost weight since Bella had last seen her, and was filling Bella in on what she had been up-to since they had last seen each other. "You and Edward just have to come and see me in Seattle and my new apartment," she giggled, leaning in as she spoke as if she was imparting some great secret. "I mean, how long are you going to be in town? You'll come, right?"

Bella smiled at her friend, giving her a non-committal shrug. "I don't know how long we are here for, Jessica, but if we get up to Seattle it would be nice to see each other," she said. Before Jessica could answer, however, the piano music suddenly changed to a familiar wedding theme, and a hush quickly descended over the assembled guests as they all took their seats.

The setting and the music brought a happy memory back to Bella, muddy to her new vampire memory but repeated so often, and so cherished, that it would be with Bella forever: her own wedding day, and her first thoughts when she spotted Edward waiting at the altar for her.

She squeezed her husband's hand tightly, and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the corner of his mouth. "This brings back memories, Mr. Cullen," she breathed, her lips close to his ear.

"Yes it does, Mrs. Cullen," Edward answered, his own lips now touching the shell of his wife's ear. "That was the happiest day of my life, my darling Isabella." Bella melted at his words and for the first time she thought she understood why Rosalie enjoyed having another wedding every few decades: if she could, she would marry Edward again right this minute.

Bella opened her shield to share this with Edward, who laughed at her quiet exuberance. "Ah, love, name the time and the place, and you will find me ready and waiting," he said, smiling at her lovingly. "Or, perhaps you are waiting for me to ask you again?" he teased.

Before Bella could answer, the music changed again, this time to the familiar Wagnerian wedding march, and everyone stood as the wedding party began to walk down the aisle.

First up were the flower girls; there were a dozen of them, and Bella knew from their email correspondence that they were all young cousins of Angela's. Next, the Maid of Honor made her way down the aisle; Bella had never met her, as she was Angela's roommate from college, and her best friend, Christine Stevenson. Angela gushed over her, and their friendship was still very strong despite that they both graduated two years ago and that Christine had gotten a job and moved to Vancouver. She was dressed in a beautiful, conservative pale green and white dress, and her tall frame - she was almost as tall as Angela - showed it off to great effect.

Finally, Mr. Weber appeared, with Angela's arm draped over his, and the guests all smiled and 'oohed' when they saw the statuesque bride on her father's arm.

Angela looked fabulous, thought Bella. Her pale white dress was high-necked, with a long train and a tight waist that accentuated her height, making her look like a runway model. Her veil was light and gauzy, allowing her beautiful, beaming face to shine through. At some point, she must have gotten contact lenses, as her old pince-nez glasses were nowhere in evidence, and her eyes were wide and gleaming.

When her father placed her hand in Ben's, Bella heard an almost uniform sigh echo through the Church. Everyone sat quietly during the exchanging of vows, and Bella's vampiric sight could make out the sparkle of tears on Angela's cheek. After the rings were exchanged and the Minister announced them husband and wife, Ben had to stand on his tiptoes to reach up to kiss his bride, and the thunder of applause and shouts of congratulations made Bella choke-up and reach for Edward's arm, holding him close.

"I love you, Edward," Bella whispered to him.

* * *

The walk to the Reception tent, which Reverend Weber had gotten permission to erect near Town Hall on the green, was a short one. Bella walked hand in hand with Edward, their arms swinging lightly between them.

She was in a happy, almost exuberant mood; she had waited her turn - almost twenty minutes - on the receiving line to congratulate Angela and Ben, and had received a most-welcome greeting from her old friend. At first, Angela could only stare - but then, she let out an excited scream and enveloped Bella in a full-body hug, her long arms enveloping the much shorter Bella completely. Ben, who had shaken Edward's hand, could only stare in amusement at his new bride as she gushed over seeing her best friend from Forks High.

Knowing that she only had a minute or two for this brief hello - there were still over a hundred people in the receiving line - she congratulated Angela on her beautiful wedding and gave Ben a kiss on his cheek. Angela promised they would catch up later, and stared for a few long seconds into Bella's eyes. Of all the people at the wedding tonight, Bella thought it most likely that Angela would be the one to notice something was 'off' with her. But if she did, it passed quickly, and Bella and Edward left shortly after to begin the walk to the tent and the party.

Bella had asked Edward what Angela had been thinking, and he took a few seconds before replying to her. Finally, he said that Angela had known, straight away, that Bella's eyes were different, and how much she seemed to resemble me now. That her beauty was not merely the result of 'growing up' and getting makeovers from Alice. This caused Bella a moment's worry, but Edward assured her that Angela didn't really want to know anything; that she was happy that Bella was happy, and that she thought she looked fantastic.

He also told her something that made her heart glad; Angela had thought of Bella, despite their brief time together, as her best friend from Forks High. And that, of all the students that she went to school with, she missed Bella the most. Angela had been sad, Edward said, that she and Bella lost touch after the wedding, but that she was so, so very thankful that Bella was able to come to her wedding and share in her special day.

As they entered the party tent, they were greeted by the sight of beautiful flower arrangements everywhere, and white and silver tapestries hung from the tent poles, giving the space a warm elegance that it otherwise would have lacked. There was music in the air, and a large, parquet wood dance floor was set up in the middle of the space. Large, round white tables with fancy centerpieces dotted the floor of the tent, each with their own number on it. There had to be at least 30 tables in the tent, and each one sat ten or twelve guests. This was a big wedding, indeed.

They stepped over to the welcome table that had all the invitation cards on it. Edward scanned through the names, until he found the card for '_Isabella and Edward Cullen - table 15.'_ Seeing their names together like that always brought Edward a thrill, and he suspected that it always would. Bella, who had been looking around at the decorations, noticed his small smile and looked at the card herself; she saw their names together, and immediately knew this was why her husband was smiling. He really was a hopeless romantic!

As more guests entered the tent, people began heading to their tables, where they chose their seats. Many of the men left their jackets on the chair backs, before taking to the dance floor with their dates. Edward and Bella walked over to table 15, as was engraved on their invitation card. Bella saw that they had been placed at the 'Forks High' table, next to all her old schoolmates.

They took their seats, watching as people socialized, danced, and generally had fun. Bella was aware of Edward talking politely with someone - a student Bella didn't remember very well, named Austin - and she tried to ignore the heat of the many stares she felt on her. She also tuned out the nasal voice of Lauren Mallory - now much shriller to her superior vampire hearing - who was whispering gossip and innuendos about Bella into the ear of one of Angela's college friends. Lauren, clearly, had not gotten over her jealousy of Bella.

Before long, Bella heard applause starting, and she guessed that the newlyweds had entered the tent. Everyone stood to clap, and before long Angela and Ben were taking the floor for their first dance as man and wife.

As they rocked slowly back and forth, gazing into each others eyes as the photographer's rapid flash cast everything into a strobing, surreal background, Bella was enveloped in a warm hug by her husband. She leaned back into his embrace, turning her face upwards to catch his lips in a searing kiss. She ignored the envious whispers and stares of those around her, enjoying the moment with Edward, sharing the joy of her friend's wedding. When she turned back to the dance floor, Angela was separating from Ben to dance with her father. As Bella watched them move awkwardly around the dance floor, she remembered her own clumsy dance with Charlie at her own wedding, and how poignant the moment had been for her - as it was the first of many goodbyes to come.

Soon, however, the MC was asking everyone to join the happy couple on the dance floor, and Edward was pulling a laughing Bella with him through the crowd. "Remember, Bella," he laughed lightly into her ear, "don't forget that you weren't exactly Ginger Rogers back in High School."

Feigning anger, but ruining the effect of it with her giggles, Bella lightly slapped Edward's arm before being spun gracefully into the crowd as they began their dance. "Why, Mr. Cullen - are you suggesting that I pretend to trip?" she asked coyly, gazing at him from under her long lashes.

Edward laughed, pulling her back to his body. "Only occasionally, Mrs. Cullen. Only occasionally." His eyes locked on those of his wife, and they were lost in their own private world as they twirled on the crowded dance floor.

"I am so in love with you, Edward," Bella breathed, reaching up with her arms to wrap them around Edward's neck. "So very, very much." Bella moved her head back, and looked directly into his eyes. "And I am irrevocably, indisputably, unconditionally, yours," she declared, placing her cool hand on his cheek.

Edward, placing his large hand over Bella's smaller one that still rested softly on his face, returned her loving gaze. "Mine? Forever?" he asked, his face breaking into the crooked grin that Bella adored.

"All yours," she smiled in answer.

* * *

**A/N - Probably one more to go. The end of the wedding, and a brief 'ever after'. Sorry if this one was overlong, it got away from me and Jessica just wouldn't shut up! ;**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – The last one before the epilogue folks!**

* * *

Angela's Wedding

Chapter 4

Bella and Edward danced for several more songs, before they wandered back to their tables with all of the other celebrating guests, smiling happily and holding hands. The smartly-dressed waiters came around to each table, taking the dinner orders from each person: 'chicken, fish, or steak," they politely asked. Bella smiled, opening her shield and asking Edward, "what, no mountain lion?" Edward laughed at his beautiful wife, ordering the chicken for the both of them, and requesting two cups of hot tea. It was simpler to mash up and hide chicken, and the hot teacups would help them keep their hands warm.

The seating had gotten mixed-up after the first round of dancing, and guests spoke freely to their neighbors, unwinding in the relaxing atmosphere and sipping their cocktails. So it was, that Bella found herself sitting at the table with Edward to her right and a beaming Mike Newton to her left. Jessica, sitting on the other side of Edward, snared his attention and he politely listened to her monologue, nodding at appropriate moments to allow her to think he was fully listening.

Mike had not taken his eyes off of Bella for quite some time, and now turned to her with a wide smile. "Bella, it's really great to see you," he said, his grin a mile wide. His teeth were very white, and Bella took note of his dilated pupils and the thin line of perspiration that gathered on his upper lip. He was looking into her eyes, with a somewhat dazed look that she recognized from spending time around humans. All vampires possess the ability to mesmerize people, causing their victim's minds to fog over and their inhibitions to drop. Bella knew first-hand what this felt like; she had certainly been dazzled by Edward often enough, especially when she was still mortal.

She smiled to herself, knowing that poor Mike was definitely aroused, and Bella felt a kind-hearted pity for him. He had been, after all, a very loyal friend; and even if he had wanted more from her - and she still had muddy memories of his incessant date proposals - he had never crossed the line, never acted inappropriately, and never shunned her for her refusals.

Bella turned to face him fully, smiling fondly at him. She was careful not to show too many of her gleaming teeth. "It's great to see you too, Mike. What have you been up to?" she asked, toning down the bell-like chimes in her voice, as she was trying not to dazzle him completely.

With that same retriever-like grin he sported in high-school, Mike told her about his graduation from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a degree in business management. He had, he said proudly, returned to Forks to work at his parent's store, and had plans to change the name to something snazzier - maybe dropping the 'Newton' moniker, and going with something like 'Olympic Outfitters' - and he planned on hopefully opening additional shops in Port Angeles and maybe Olympia. He said that he had done market research, and the demand for hiking gear had boomed in the past five years in the Pacific Northwest; and Mike wanted to expand his store and grow the brand to become the premium outdoor sports outlet in Washington state.

As Mike spoke to her of his dreams of a business empire, Bella took a long look at him. She was happy to see that he looked quite good. All the boyish roundness of his chin and cheeks was gone, and he now had high cheekbones and admittedly adorable dimples. He clearly spent time at the gym, and looked to be fit. He would probably make a nice husband to someone one day, as he was handsome, and kind.

Bella was happy for her friend, and couldn't help but tease him a bit. "So, Mike, any lucky ladies in your life?" She felt a tremor from Edward's chair behind her, and knew that he was probably following their conversation even as he spoke to Jessica and one of Angela's college friends, who had been gazing longingly at Edward all night, sighing dreamily and completely ignoring Bella's presence at his side.

Mike's face reddened a bit at Bella's question, and his eyes dropped for a moment before lifting again to gaze at Bella. "Well, I had been seeing someone for a couple of years, but when I moved back to Forks she stayed in California," he said, clearly saddened by the fact. "She just didn't want to live in a small town," he added quietly.

Bella gave Mike's upper arm a squeeze, being very careful to temper her strength. "Oh Mike, don't you worry. I have no doubt that the perfect girl is waiting for you, and she will be very lucky to have you," Bella said, genuine warmth for her friend evident in her tone. She was not even upset when she heard him mutter, too quietly for human hearing,"yeah, too bad the perfect girl is already taken."

But then Mike smiled at her, pleased with her genuine sentiment, and Bella felt happy to have this brief time with him. She knew, in her heart, that she would probably never see him again; after all, in a few more years she would not be able to pass for her 'supposed' age of a late twenty-something woman.

For the next thirty minutes or so, quiet conversation ranged around the table, as the food was served and Bella caught up with the rest of her friends, and chatted a bit with some of the other Forks HS graduates she didn't really remember.

A short time later, she was nodding her head and laughing, listening to a funny story that Tyler was telling about a college prank gone wrong, when Angela and Ben approached their table. Bella beamed at Angela, as the new bride walked around the table, briefly chatting and thanking everyone for coming. The last person she approached was Bella, and with a knowing look she quietly took her friend's hand- luckily kept warm by the hot cup of tea Bella had been holding - and led her a short distance away from the rest of the table, pulling her down onto a pair of empty chairs.

As soon as they sat, Angela looked at her friend for a long moment, her brown eyes fixed on Bella's. "Ok, Isabella Cullen, tell me your secret."

Bella was taken-aback by this question, and she opened her shield in a panic and sent her frantic thoughts to Edward. "What do I say? What does she think? Does she suspect?"

In a low whisper, spoken so quickly and quietly that no human in the tent could hear, Edward chuckled and said, "Relax, love. Everything is ok. She is commenting on your appearance only."

Letting out a laugh of relief, Bella smirked at Angela. "Well, when you have sister in-laws like Rosalie Hale and Alice Cullen, you learn a few tricks about beauty treatments," she answered teasingly."But don't worry, Angela - you look so beautiful and radiant tonight, that _I _am going to ask for tips from _you_."

Angela smiled widely, laughing as she leaned forward again to hug Bella. "Oh I am so happy to see you, Bella. I missed you so very much," she said, her voice choking with emotion. "You were the only friend from High School I really regretted not seeing," she confessed. "And I really was sad when we lost touch."

Bella was touched by Angela's statement, and nodded her head in agreement. "Me too, Angela. You really were the only one I missed, and I am so glad you invited me tonight. I've been a terrible friend, and I promise I will do better about keeping in touch," Bella said, knowing that she couldn't keep the promise indefinitely; and that this too was another goodbye, this time to a dear friend.

Angela laughed though, playfully slapping Bella's arm. "Oh, stop, Bella. I know how busy life gets when college is finished. And you moved across the country, twice! I didn't even go further than Seattle," she said wistfully, her eyes clouding for a moment.

But then Angela shook her head, and laughed again, smiling at her friend. "One thing I can say, Bella, is that you and Edward look so very happy together. I hope my marriage is as good as yours after six years." And then she leaned in, and whispered conspiratorially, "And he even taught you to dance!"

Bella giggled, and Angela joined her, and the two friends's hugged one last time before Angela saw that Ben had come over to join them. He waited politely for them to finish talking, so that he and Angela could continue making the rounds of the tables. So with a final goodbye, Bella watched as her friend walked away, arm in arm with her new husband, the press of the crowd and the sounds of the party swallowing them up until Bella couldn't see them anymore.

Sighing softly, she felt the presence of Edward behind her, and leaned backwards into his embrace. "Are you ok, love," he asked her, tenderly kissing her neck.

Bella considered the question only for a moment, before answering truthfully. "Yes, Edward," she sighed again, but happily this time, before turning to him and pulling his arms fully around her body. "I am now."

******************************M******************* *******M**********************

The rest of the evening passed in a delightful blur for Bella and Edward, who took the opportunity to dance several more times, trying hard not to show off their supernatural skills in front of the crowd. Bella even danced with Mike and Eric - during a modern pop song, that didn't require any close contact - and Edward grudgingly danced with a fawning Jessica. He avoided Lauren Mallory at all costs, as she tried repeatedly to get him alone. When he could take it no longer, he finally fobbed one of Angela's college friends off on her. He felt a little guilty about that, as no one, in his opinion, should have to suffer the company of Lauren Mallory; but extreme circumstances called for extreme measures. Edward laughed to himself as he caught the tenor of her thoughts, and he beat a hasty retreat away from the distracted harpy.

The cake-cutting ceremony proceeded with many cheers and chorused 'congratulations', and Angela's garter was thrown into the crowd of single women, landing in the hands of one of Angela's college friends. Bella laughed with Edward at the antics of some of the partygoers, and the round of celebratory speeches soon began.

After the fourth - or was it the fifth? - speech, the tent darkened and a large projector displayed pictures on a large screen - Angela was, after all, a prolific photographer - that documented the newlywed's lives. Bella was touched to see a young Angela - perhaps ten years old - tall and uncoordinated, tending to her younger siblings with obvious love, showing the patience and compassion that she would be known for as she matured into a lovely young woman.

Ben's photos were more comical, showing a nerdy Ben holding a comic book in almost every photograph or home movie. And there were several embarrassingly painful images of a teenage Ben, standing by himself, shorter than everyone else and sporting a wide set of silver braces, at a junior high school dance. Everyone laughed at those images, and Bella had a muddy memory of her own painful early-teen years, where she was known in Phoenix as 'Bumbling Bella' - a nickname she never told anyone in Forks about, not even Edward - for her penchant for falling down and getting bruises and breaking bones on a regular basis. A hazy memory of a series of arm, wrist, and leg casts paraded through her mind, and she reflected on how far she had come from those days as the 'Klutz Queen' - another memorable moniker she had been stuck with - of Phoenix.

Finally, the last set of photos danced across the screen; their years at Forks High School; of days in the cafeteria, of school trips, and finally the Junior Prom. Photo's of Ben and Angela dancing in the school gym, the slick James Bond theme props contrasting sharply with the 'basketball division 3' flags and posters hanging from the brick walls. More images flashed on the screen, and Edward placed his cool hand on Bella's thigh as the pictures of Ben and Angela's classmates began to scroll by, accompanied by laughter from the very same classmates who, now, six years later shared in this happy occasion and trip down memory lane.

Edward's slowly squeezed her thigh, until, finally, their grainy image appeared on the big screen: Bella and Edward, standing together in a warm embrace on the dance floor in the Forks gym. A very human Bella, standing tall in her long blue dress adorned with a leg cast, staring up into the eyes of her Adonis boyfriend, whose own eyes blazed as he looked down at her as if she was the only other person on the planet.

Though the picture was only shown for a few brief seconds, before pictures of senior year and then college photos of Ben and Angela displaced it, Bella's vampire brain seared the still image into her perfect memory, where she could call it up, at will, forever.

A powerful rush of love and warmth and desire shot through her then, and she turned to her Edward, who was gazing at her softly, and lovingly, with that same look on his face as he had six years earlier. And she realized, then, that to him, nothing had really changed. Yes, she looked different. Yes, she was more resilient. Yes, she could hold her own with anyone now and didn't need him to catch her when she fell anymore.

But for all that, she knew, she was still his Bella; deep down, she was the same shy, quiet girl who fell in love with her Vampire six years ago in the rainy town of Forks, Washington, and vowed even-then, to love him until the end of time.

And as she opened her shield to share these thoughts with her beloved, Edward whispered gently into her ear. "Yes love, you will always, always, be my Bella."

* * *

**A/N - Hope you liked the wedding! Only the epilogue is left.**


	5. Epilogue

**A/N - Here it is, the end of my tale. Hope you enjoyed it! Have received many requests for outtakes or continuations - will consider it when my other story, Branded Under the New Moon, is complete.**

**Epilogue** - **10 years later**

**June, 2022 - Sandpoint, Idaho**

As the long days of summer arrived in the small town of Sandpoint, Idaho, Bella Cullen sat looking out the bay windows of the main living room in the sprawling Cullen ranch. She watched the shadow's of the late afternoon clouds moving across the expansive front lawn, slowly creeping towards the massive outlying garage that they had constructed to accommodate their ever growing fleet of vehicles.

She sat pensively, watching as her family organized boxes and prepared everything for their pending move, which was planned for the following week. She could see Emmett and Jasper, carrying crates and containers into the large tractor-trailer that they rented, and Rosalie standing off to the side ticking items off of a checklist.

Behind Bella, walking around the enormous entryway into the main living room, a bustling Esme was directing the final packing-up of this latest - and most grand - of the Cullen properties.

After a decade living in one place, it was time to move again. Their new home would be about six hours away, in Sandy, Oregon. This moderately small town of sixteen-thousand was a short driving distance from Portland, and all the Cullen's, including Renesmee, would be attending University there. To say everyone was excited was an understatement.

Sandy was a perfect destination. To the east, the majestic Mt. Hood and the soaring Cascade Mountains bordered the Gilford Pinchot National Forest, with its 1.3 million acres of dense woodlands, alpine valleys, and abundant wildlife. Best-of-all, it was only a three hundred mile drive - or run - to their beloved Forks, and their close friends, the Quileute's. They could easily travel this distance - by car, or foot - in under three hours.

Much had changed in the past decade for the Cullen's, and the family had never been more at peace. Renesmee had fully matured, and had married Jacob Black in a small but lovely Native ceremony on First Beach, in La Push. The wedding was attended by the Cullen's and their cousins, the Denali's, who had forged their own friendship with the Wolves following the Volturi incident sixteen years earlier. This was the first time in Quileute history that 'cold ones' had been welcomed onto tribal land for a Quileute ceremony; but relations between the 'Golden Eyes'- as the La Push natives now called the Cullen's - and the pack had never been stronger, and many of them considered themselves part of the same, extended family.

A second party was thrown for Renesmee, Jacob, and all the Cullen's vampire friends at the old Cullen mansion, and almost all of those vampires who had stood with them in that snowy clearing sixteen years ago attended the party. In all, over thirty vampires attended, along with Nahuel and his sisters; but at Jacob's request, they did not stay long. No one wanted to be responsible for causing the younger generation of Quileute's to begin shifting again, and no one made any trouble, as respect for the Quileute Wolves ran high with many of the visiting vampires.

In fact, there was only one pack in La Push these days. Sam, and the rest of the wolves with human imprints, had long since stopped phasing, settling down to raise their families. The only exception was Quil, as Claire had just turned seventeen. Quil planned on stopping sometime in the next few years, when he joined Claire in marriage.

With Sam's retirement, Jacob and the eight remaining wolves became the sole heirs to their legacy of spirit magic. Truthfully, their protection was not needed much anymore: La Push - indeed the entire Olympic Peninsula and the western edge of southern Canada - was now known as a 'protected' zone, and any uninvited vampires who entered and fed on any humans there would be hunted down, and would face the possibility of execution.

The protected-zone status was a boon granted by a Volturi decree, after the Cullen's had grudgingly helped them with a sensitive matter four years prior.

The Volturi had lost so much credibility following their aborted trial of the Cullen's in 2006, that in subsequent years they faced several stiff challenges for control of the vampire race. The most serious threat came not from Romanians, as everyone expected - but from the Tang's. These vampires were an ancient, brutal coven from China that had been led for seventeen hundred years by a supposed descendent of the legendary King of Qin, who founded the Qin Dynasty in 220 BC.

After the threat that the Tangs represented had been firmly established, Aro Volturi called for his allies to gather and try to dissuade the Tangs from their rebellion. But the Volturi's oldest allies feared to get involved; they had seen the Volturi retreat from the Cullen's, and the Tang's were reputed to have both gifted guard members and large numbers of 'Zhan shi' - the Chinese term for 'warrior.'

But the serious risk posed by the Tang's soon forced the Volturi's hand; the Tang's did not believe that secrecy from humans was strictly necessary and they wanted to establish a Tang-led global dictatorship. Their plan: they would reveal themselves to the human leaders of the world in secret, but with a demonstration of extreme violence and supernatural power. Ultimatums would be issued. Hostages would be taken. Threats would be made. And ultimately, the Tangs would then act as a shadow organization that 'ruled the rulers.'

Under their 'New World Order,' governments would continue to function, and the human populations at large would remain ignorant of the existence of immortals; but all world governments would be answerable to their Tang overlords, who would use not only their supernatural gifts as threats against the humans, but they possessed a veritable arsenal of chemical and biological weaponry that was useless against themselves and other vampires, but would be deadly to urban populations across the globe.

The threat was very, very real.

With this information in hand, the Cullen's - who had by now gained a reputation as a coven to be feared - belatedly joined the Volturi side and gathered enough allies that they forced the Tang's to back down. This new alliance between the Cullen's and the Volturi injected new life into the stagnant Volturi and revived their flagging fortunes, forcing them to look inward, and examine their own methods and place limits on the excesses of the past. In gratitude for their help, and with the knowledge that they owed a great debt to Carlisle and his family, the Volturi rulers created a 'no feeding zone' - similar to what they did in their own city of Volterra - that included the Pacific northwestern regions of the US and Canada. The Cullen's and their Quileute allies were given full authority of this region, and could call on the help of the Volturi or their allies at any time to help enforce the decree.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts of those stressful days, Bella looked down at her lap, and smiled at the oversized book she held in her hands. Her fingers played over the red fabric cover, drawing aimless patterns across the worn surface. This scrapbook - gifted by her mother at the beginning of her senior year at Forks High - was one her most cherished mementos. It contained all her photos and keepsakes - and memories - that she still had left, of her short time as a normal, human teenager in Forks. Over the years, she had filled its empty pages with various emails and photos and news of all of her high school friends.

This was her monument to them.

Ten years ago, after seeing how happy Bella was after attending Angela's wedding, Edward had gently suggested that Bella avail herself of the services of J. Jenks and have him keep tabs - in a non-intrusive, discrete, and polite manner - on some of her old friends.

After thinking it over, Bella had agreed, and Jay had found them a private investigator that was perfect for the assignment. So, as time passed he would send information to Bella, keeping her informed about her old friend's and how their lives were progressing. Occasionally there would be photographs, or newspaper announcements, or just snippets of reports and whereabouts.

At first, Bella did not need his services too often, as she kept up a vigorous email correspondence with Angela after the wedding, and even exchanged occasional emails with Mike and Jessica. But as time went on, and invitations to see her friends again were met with increasingly feeble excuses, the correspondence waned, and Bella knew that it was almost time for Isabella Swan to finally vanish, stepping off the stage so that she could finally, completely let her go and become Isabella Cullen for the rest of eternity. So it was soon after she made that decision, that Bella found herself relying on her private detective's information as the only source of news about her old friends.

Bella smiled to herself as she opened the book, reading the inscription on the inside cover, written in her mother Renee's sloppy hand: "_Dearest Bella - enjoy this last year of High School, and keep your memories here, held close - so that you can relive them and cherish them when your recollections of them grow dim. Love, Mom." _

Phantom tears stung her eyes as they filled with venom, as Bella knew she would never speak or see her erratic mother again. It was three years ago, in 2019, that she and Edward agreed that it was time to lay Isabella Swan-Cullen - mortal, 29 year old graduate of Dartmouth and the University of Alaska - to rest. She was supposed to be almost thirty-years old by then, and truthfully she sometimes had trouble convincing anyone that she was even twenty-five, and most would have put her age at about twenty-one.

For her mother, Bella had finally run-out of avoidance excuses about a year after her change, and agreed to allow Renee to visit. Up until then, she had used the excuses of schoolwork, married life, Ivy League pressures, and sickness to keep Renee at a distance. But as her mother grew more insistent, and began demanding a visit, Alice said that it would do more harm than good to delay seeing her any longer.

Shortly after that last angry phone call, Bella finally acquiesced; allowing Renee to visit them in Forks, the summer after the Volturi had come to kill them. Given Renee's anger and concern, and knowing she was very observant, Bella believed disaster was going to strike; and, in retrospect, she still believed it was something of a minor miracle that they had been able to assuage Renee's concerns and quell her curious nature.

When Renee arrived, she was in a suspicious mood. Why had Bella put her off for so long? Why were they meeting in Forks, and not at her home in New Hampshire? And then, when she first saw Bella at the airport, Renee was completely shocked at her new appearance. She stared for a full minute, open-mouthed and practically hyperventilating, as Bella stood there nervously, hand in hand with Edward, at the American Airlines baggage claim. Thankfully, Jasper had accompanied them (at Alice's insistence) and he was able to keep her calm as they dodged her questions and hustled her into the waiting Mercedes.

The drive back to Forks would go down as one of the most stressful of Bella's new life. Renee did not understand and would not be sidestepped: why did she look so different? Why were her eyes a golden brown color? Why was she so stiff and cold? Why was she so ethereally beautiful? What the _hell_ was going on?

When they arrived back at the mansion, they sat her down with Carlisle, who skillfully explained to Renee that Bella's condition the previous year - when she was 'sick' after her honeymoon - was much more serious than Renee had been told. It was so bad, he said, that the virus that caused the sickness had caused severe necrosis in Bella's skin and tissues, causing extensive scarring and hardening of the epidermis. In fact, he explained, the scarring on her face was so profound that several corrective facial surgeries were necessary to repair the damage to the muscles and skin of her face.

The result of the surgery, he said, was positive, and her skin and underlying facial musculature was completely repaired. And that Bella was now healthy, with no permanent damage except for discoloration of her eyes and permanent hardening of her outer skin layer.

Renee burst into tears after hearing Carlisle's story, and hugged her daughter to her with all the strength in her body. "Why didn't you tell me, sweetie?" she cried, taking comfort from the fact that Bella was safe and happy and in her arms. Bella had looked over Renee's shoulder, mouthing a very sincere 'thank you' to a smiling Carlisle.

In the days that followed, Renee noticed the similarities between Bella and the rest of the Cullen's, and began to harbor some doubts about Carlisle's story. But the Cullen's were convincing liars, and Jasper created a fictional website that listed a series of rare tropical diseases, including one that Carlisle invented called 'Avian Transdermal Fasciitis Syndrome', that had symptoms just like they had told Renee. It was, the website claimed, an extremely rare disease - with less than ten cases per year - and there was thus no mention of it in the popular press or in mainstream medical journals.

To put the issue beyond all doubt, Bella asked Charlie to back-up her story. Charlie had married Sue Clearwater a few months earlier, and was now fully aware of the Quileute legends and the truth of the Cullen's. He learned what really happened in Phoenix with James, and why Edward had left Bella after her eighteenth birthday. So when Charlie spoke to Renee and told her that everything about her sickness was true, the matter was finally laid to rest.

So for the next few years, Renee happily saw her daughter every eight to ten months, usually meeting her in Forks; though to keep up the pretense that they were attending Dartmouth, they invited her and Phil to New Hampshire for Thanksgiving in 2009. They all stayed in the unused house Edward had bought for them when he and Bella got married and had planned on going to college right after their honeymoon.

She also finally met Renesmee, who was always called 'Nessie' or 'Nessa' (which she came to prefer as she grew) in Renee's presence. Even someone as gullible as Renee could sometimes be, might notice that a child with the name 'Renesmee' was too much of a coincidence in a family with a 'Renee' and an 'Esme.' So, she was introduced as Vanessa - 'Nessa' for short - the seven-year old daughter of Edward's deceased brother, who was willingly adopted by Carlisle and Esme after her parents died in a fire. Her rapid growth was explained away as an overactive thyroid disorder, which at this point Phil and Renee believed without hesitation.

The more challenging explanation for Nessa's resemblance to Bella and Edward was easily handled by Alice, who Photoshopped a picture of a younger Renesmee with a pair of hired models, chosen for their resemblance to Edward and Bella, and who posed as Vanessa's parents. A little editing with the Photoshop tools to make the couple have brown eyes, and to make the father look like Edward (after all, he was supposed to be his brother), and the mother look a bit like Bella, was not difficult for Alice to accomplish.

All-in-all, the charade was very convincing.

Bella - and Renesmee herself - never liked lying to Renee about her true parentage; but at least Nessie got to know Renee, and loved her like the grandmother that she really was. And Renee loved Nessie right back.

But as the years went by, Renee and Phil began to wonder about why (at least in their thoughts) the 'beautiful Cullen's' never seemed to age. After their last visit, Edward and Alice called a family meeting, and reluctantly told everyone that Renee was beginning to harbor doubts again.

Bella knew, then, that it was getting close to the time for her to publicly 'die', and that she would never see her mother again.

As she turned the pages in her scrapbook, she gently touched the invitations to events she could not attend. She had passed on her ten year high-school reunion, when Alice told her that people would be suspicious of her and Edward's youthful appearance. And she had to decline wedding invitations from Mike Newton (who married two short years after Angela's wedding) and Jessica (who married four years after that) when Alice told her that there would be sunshine at both events. Both times Bella used the excuse that she was travelling abroad, but made sure to send them both generous wedding gifts.

So now Bella sat, looking at her old scrapbook with bittersweet memories. The pictures and notes and emails and mementos that chronicled and encapsulated the lives of her friends who she had known when she was just a normal girl from Forks High.

She knew that - taking the long view -the few years that she spent in Forks as a human, and the decade since she last saw all of her friends at Angela's wedding, were but a single star in the vast constellation that was her eternity. But Bella kept the book as up-to-date as she could, as she knew that her long-lost humanity was, as Edward had always told her, something to be cherished.

Some of the last entries in the scrapbook were photos, emailed to her from Angela, of the Ten year reunion for the Forks HS Class of 2006. She looked at a smiling Mike, holding the hand of his very pregnant wife, as they grinned for camera. A drunken Tyler Crowley gamboled in the background, goofing-off as he always had a tendency to do. Bella later learned that he moved away shortly after the reunion, and had a successful career working in real-estate in California. From that same reunion, there was a picture of Jessica with her new husband, who was reported to be almost fifteen years her senior. He certainly didn't look it in the picture, and a mature-looking Jessica looked happier than Bella had ever seen her.

And then, Bella came to the second to last entry in the book; it was not much, just a small clipping, posted a few years ago in the Forks Forum:

_It is with great sadness that we report the untimely passing of Isabella and Edward Cullen, graduates of Forks HS in 2006. The couple, happily married for eleven years, were vacationing in Greece when their rental boat was lost during a storm. The craft was recovered, half submerged and battered by storm damage, several days later, when a search and rescue party was sent after the couple failed to return to port as expected. _

_Their bodies were never recovered, and a private ceremony was reportedly held by the Cullen family overseas. Recently retired Chief of Police Charlie Swan, father of Isabella, was secluded with his wife Sue Clearwater on the Quileute Reservation and was unavailable for comment. He has requested that his privacy be respected and he be allowed to grieve in peace._

_Isabella and Edward were 29 years old._

_They will be missed, and the hearts of everyone in Forks goes out to them and their family during this time of mourning._

Blinking hard, Bella turned to the very last entry in the scrapbook, the one that was the most special to her, and the one that would always bring her to tears. She slowly turned the page, a slow smile already spreading across her face.

On the page was a picture, with an attached email. Bella had received it on her old Gmail account about a year after her 'death.' Bella had stopped using that account when she 'passed away', but never thought to delete it. It was, after all, just one of many email aliases that she already had. So after her death, she didn't check it, ever, and had only opened it accidentally when she mistakenly clicked a link in an old bookmark.

Bella remembered that day as clearly as if it was yesterday. After the web page had loaded, she saw that the account was filled with mostly junk and spam mail; no surprise there, she thought. But as Bella went to close the page, she noticed one small email, buried amidst the hundreds of adverts for lottery winnings and letters from Nigerian Princes promising kingdoms if you simply wire them five thousand dollars, that had her starting in surprise.

Bella had read the email in shock, staring at the screen in mute disbelief, before a smile split her beautiful face, and then the sobs of happiness started, as she stared with absolute joy at the email's contents and the attached picture.

The email was in two parts: the first was a birth announcement.

_We are proud to share the blessed news of the arrival of Audrey Isabella Cheney, daughter of Angela and Ben Cheney, born April 23rd, 2020, and weighing seven pounds, three ounces. Both baby and mother are doing well, and Angela and Ben are eager to return home with their new daughter._

Attached to the announcement, was a picture of a beautiful baby girl, sleeping soundly with her head on her mother's chest. A beaming but tired looking Angela was looking down on her daughter with love and devotion in her eyes.

The second part of the email was an attachment, encrypted in a PDF file format with a password. When Bella clicked on the file with mounting curiosity, she was prompted with a password hint.

_"Enter Password : Hint : A restaurant in Port Angeles - that you were late to and had us worried! - shares this part of its name with someone I will always love."_

With trembling fingers, Bella slowly entered the letters -B*E*L*L*A - part of the name La Bella Italia - the restaurant where her journey with Edward had really begun, and where an agitated Jessica and a worried Angela waited one fateful night in March, 2005, for her to arrive.

When she pressed 'Enter', the pdf file opened, and Bella held her breath as she read.

_Dear Bella_

_I want to believe that, in spite of what I have been told to be true, that you are living somewhere with your Edward and the Cullen's, and are reading this email with a smile on your face (maybe with shock and surprise as well? : I mean, there must be something wrong with me, right? Why else would I write to a supposedly deceased friend? :-)_

_When I saw you at my wedding, I knew right away that something was different - you had changed, somehow, into something...different. The similarities between you and Edward -and from what I remember, the rest of his family - was too much to be shrugged off as a coincidence. But I didn't say anything then, and I have never voiced my suspicions to anyone. Not even my husband, and it so far remains the one thing I will never disclose to him or anyone else (OK, maybe I won't tell anyone about my penchant for liking the music of Air Supply either, or for getting really bad gas whenever I eat Twinkies! : ). _

_After all, your secret - whatever it is - is not mine to tell._

_Anyway, I am writing finally to tell you the most wonderful news: two weeks ago, after trying hard to conceive a child for the past four years (and we tried very, very often : ), I finally gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. We named her Audrey Isabella Cheney. _

_Audrey was my Grandmother's name. She passed away when I was a little girl, but I will always remember her loving and generous nature, and the most delicious cookies she would always bake me._

_My baby's middle name - Isabella - is, of course, named in memory of you. My little girl, like her namesake, has the biggest, most expressive brown eyes, and curly dark brown hair. And again, like you, she doesn't seem to fuss much and seems to enjoy sitting quietly and watching what is happening around her._

_And another reason I decided to name her after you, Bella, was that you were an inspiration to me - as my baby will be to me - and your romance with Edward was the closest thing to a fairy- tale I had ever seen._

_Though I never told anyone this, I never did believe the story that you fell out of a hotel window in Phoenix. My gut told me that something else happened, and when the Cullen's all rallied around you at the end of junior year, I knew that whatever it was involved them. The guilt I would see sometimes on Edward's face was all too apparent, but never once did I believe that he had been the one to hurt you. That boy worshipped the ground you walked on, Bella. _

_And when I saw the two of you at my wedding, it was clear to me that he always will._

_You have the magic, you and Edward. Yes, I love my husband dearly, and we have a happy marriage, and I expect we will go the distance._

_But we have to work at it, every day, like most normal couples do._

_You and Edward, though, you are different. There is fire there, as much now, I suspect , as when you first met. Everyone at my wedding could see it for themselves. For you and Edward, it all seemed so effortless. Never have I seen a couple so in love._

_I once worried about you, Bella; after the Cullen's left, I wasn't sure you were going to make it. So when you finally 'woke up' that winter, I wanted to do a happy-dance. And I watched you, every day, working so hard to keep it together, and looking like you had burdens and knew things that no eighteen year old should have to face. Maybe you did - after all, there were a lot of strange things happening that year._

_When you disappeared during Spring Break - just like you had the year before - I knew, in my heart, that something big was going on with you and change was coming. And then, Edward and the Cullen's returned, and finally, finally, your long winter was over, your summer had arrived, and the fairy tale was back on. _

_You inspired me, Bella. You knew what you wanted, and you grabbed on with both hands and held on tight, never letting go. _

_I never told you this, but I used to repeat those words as my mantra, when things that I wanted seemed out of reach: _

_"Grab on, girl, and don't let go."_

_Seeing you back with Edward gave me the courage to know that, in the end, a true love like yours would always prevail against adversity. And when you got married, the stories being told around Forks were truly awful and mean spirited, but you ignored them, not letting them bother you in the least. I always thought that took a tremendous amount of courage - and I have tried to remember that important life lesson: do what you know is right, and always follow your heart.  
_

_Bella, I don't expect you to answer or acknowledge this email. After all, if it was important enough for you to 'die' to keep your secret, then I won't ask you to jeopardize that. But I know what I felt when I saw you at my wedding, and I will continue to believe - and hope in my heart- that you and Edward are still living your fairy tale; and I take solace in the belief that a love like yours is possible in this world, and that everyone who got to witness it - even just for a short while - will be better for it._

_Your friend, Forever:_

_Angela_

* * *

**The End_  
_**

**A/N - Whew! I had to grab the Kleenex myself after this one.**


End file.
